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All paws in: Doggy Day draws crowd

Annual event marks end of summer swimming season

By Jenni Grubbs

Times Staff Writer

Posted:
08/19/2014 10:07:56 AM MDT

Doggy paddling, chasing toys, jumping off the diving board or just off the pool's edge, splashing, chasing each other around and having fun were common adventures for the 20-some dogs lucky enough to get to take a swim at Doggy Day Sunday evening at Fort Morgan's community swimming pool. Those dogs included Melo, swimming and retrieving a toy, and Holly, standing on the left diving board, getting ready to jump. The annual Doggy Day marks closing day for swimming season in Fort Morgan. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

Holly retrieves the toy Andrew Schoemaker, left, threw for her to get the white lab to jump off the diving board after it. He said this was something they perfected at last year's Doggy Day and continued to enjoy Sunday evening at this year's closing-night event at Fort Morgan's community swimming pool. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

As soon as Charles Hobbs turned into the parking lot outside Fort Morgan's community swimming pool, his four-legged passenger, Melo, knew what was coming.

The chocolate lab "got so excited," Hobbs said, probably because the last time they were there, it led to getting to swim in the pool.

Hobbs said he was sure his pooch could remember from a year ago what it was like to pull up to that building and fence, get out of the vehicle, then go up to the pool's edge and then jump in.

That sequence, from both a year ago and on Sunday, was followed by lots of jumping in and chasing balls and toys that Hobbs threw for Melo.

And they were far from the only human-dog pair playing out this game and enjoying Doggy Day on the last day of the swimming season in Fort Morgan.

Three dogs chase after a tennis ball in the main pool at Fort Morgan's community swimming pool Sunday evening. The annual Doggy Day drew more than 20 dogs of various sizes, as their owners, families and friends brought them for a swim at the season-closing event. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

More than 20 dogs of all shapes, sizes and fur colors got to enjoy about an hour of pool time Sunday.

And their owners and their families and friends, who numbered far more than 20, got to enjoy watching their canine loved ones frolicking in the water.

Another human-dog pair that remembered what it was like last year was Andrew Schoemaker and white lab Holly.

They worked together so that Holly could climb the diving board and then jump in after the toy that Schoemaker threw for her in the deep water.

"We came last year, and finally got the hang of the diving board," Schoemaker recalled.

This year, there was not stopping Holly, who seemed to really dig the big jump, plunge and swim from the diving boards to get the toy.

A few other pairs tried out the diving board, but Holly was the reigning queen on this Doggy Day.

Plenty of other dogs just had fun chasing the balls and toys thrown for them into various parts of the big swimming pool, even plunging through the cascade coming off water mushroom that had water rushing down off of it and onto the dogs seeking their prizes.

Some of the smaller dogs only seemed ready for petite doggy paddles and playing around in the kiddie pool, though, which probably was a bit less daunting of an endeavor than something like jumping off the diving board into deep water.

The kiddie pool was more fun for some of the smaller pooches at Doggy Day on Sunday evening at Fort Morgan's community pool. Although the owners and friends were not supposed to swim with their pets, lifeguards made some exceptions in the shallow water of the kiddie pool for the more timid animals. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

One of those smaller dogs was Ace, a 2-year-old Pomeranian, that Sydney Murkins brought for a swim.

Murkins is a lifeguard at the pool, so she knew all about keeping Ace safe: Her pooch was wearing a special life jacket.

And there were families who came to watch their dogs have some fun in the pool, too, if not play in the pool with them, which for the most part was not allowed, especially in the main pool where the larger dogs were frolicking.

Leslie McGrory brought her daughters and one of their friends along with German shorthaired pointer Buddy.

While the girls were not allowed to swim with Buddy, they had fun chasing him around from outside the pool, as he swam from one side to the other and moved from section to section.

"We just came to watch the dogs all swim," McGrory said, and the girls' happy squeals were proof that it was a good decision.

And while Doggy Day marked the end of this swimming season, the pool will open up again next year, offering something for local kids and adults —and even dogs — to look forward to during the soon-to-start coming school year.

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